addendum

The ciabatta turned out good, but I'm not sure that what I made really counts as ciabatta. Is it really just the shape of it, or should the texture be different enough to notice?

I don't have an experienced baker checking up on me, so what I'm making could be wildly different from what the books is trying to get me to make. It's a minor point now, as long as the bread tastes good, but I don't want to be an unwitting victim to my own bad habits.

Also, I definitely need to learn better knife technique. It's another thing that I wish I had learned through teaching in person, instead of written language.

More Information Than You Require

John Hodgman's second book is out!

But not in audiobook form yet. Drat. John Hodgman is one of those authors that is even better on audiobooks. And I've got a pile of audible.com credits.

Update: They printed a history item for a day of the year on every page. That's going to be distracting.

Breadventure: 99-CENT HERBS

tamtrible convinced me that herbs bought at the 99-cent store could be trusted. Plastic bags would have been unacceptable, but I chanced upon plastic jars, so I bought them. And I used some 99-cent rosemary and thyme in my latest half-batch of dough.

If you thought my apartment smelled good before, then just you wait.

Now, my nose isn't very well-trained, so if this stuff turns out to be mistletoe and crab grass, I can't say I'll be able to tell in time. I suppose I should at least buy a more expensive brand of dried herb. But later.

I suppose it might be in my best interest to grow an herb garden, but I have a very shady south-facing balcony; anything I grow wouldn't get all that much sun in the winter, and practically no direct sunlight in the summer.